Does anyone know how to tell whether it's valve seals or piston rings causing a motor to smoke? I know there's a way, I just don't remember what it is. Any help would be great. Thanks.

 

Perform a compression test and write down the results for each cylinder. Then add about two table spoons of motor oil to each cylinder and repaet the compression test. If the compression is higher during the second test then your rings are bad. If there is no change then the seals are bad.

 

Ahhh DUH ! BRAIN fart. Thanks.

 

You can also tell by checking when it smokes, if it smokes all the time, no matter what the RPM or during normal coasting is rings, if it only smokes while hard accelerating or descelerating is valve seals.

 

my car gives out a puff ONLY during WOT, and it smokes for only a split second...reckon it's probably the valve seals then.

 

If it's black smoke and not blue(oil) I wouldn't worry about it, that's a sign of a rich mixture at WOT wich is perfectly safe. What kind of mods have you done to it?

 

it's white smoke...so no luck there...

 

the color of the smoke can explain all you need to know.

what color is it? white blueish grey black?

 

Mine smokes all the time. I mean ALL THE TIME. I guess it's both rings and seals. Oh well, time for b-series